Education Secretary should act on LGBT imbroglio

So the JC wanted to see how some Charedi schools passed the equality test — bearing in mind rabbis’ opposition to the inclusion of LGBT issues.

Since our FOI request, the guidelines were changed last spring to make clear that all protected characteristics should be covered.

However, the revised guidelines also allow the schools discretion in deciding when certain topics are “age appropriate” for their pupils. A similar provision is part of the guidance on the new relationships and sex education curriculum which comes into effect later this year.

But who gets to decide what is age appropriate? There appears to be a difference between government guidelines and Ofsted’s interpretation.

The DfE’s advice to parents on RSE, for instance, says that secondary schools “should cover” LGBT content. Primary schools are “ strongly encouraged and enabled to cover LGBT content when teaching about different types of families.”

In other words, primary schools may be encouraged to teach this but it is not compulsory.

However, Ofsted inspectors are continuing to criticise Charedi primary schools for not including LGBT issues.

It is surely ridiculous for the government to give schools the flexibility to decide what is age appropriate but allow Ofsted in effect to take the decision out of their hands.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson should step in and sort this out.